Things about the USA your UK spouse should know.

DH refers to everyone as "colonists", it gets a good laugh.

Tips from the South
 
5. Everywhere gives free refills, and if you want, they will give you an extra one in a " to go cup" to take with you home.

Hey, wait just a cotton pickin' minute! How much are refills on Cokes at UK restaraunts?!

DH refers to everyone as "colonists", it gets a good laugh.

Yep - here too - Simon calls me his "little colonial".        I think it's sorta cute actually.

~Liza

Can't help but adding . . . America is filled with over weight individuals and people wonder why? Cars are needed to go everywhere, refills on sodas are free, portions are huge, don't walk from store to store, no public transport to walk to, lots of drive thru everything . . . banks, drug stores, convenience stores, dry cleaners, coffe shops, donut shops, restaraunts . . . pretty sad if you ask me. Also not a very healthy live style.

Can't help but adding . . . America is filled with over weight individuals and people wonder why? Cars are needed to go everywhere, refills on sodas are free, portions are huge, don't walk from store to store, no public transport to walk to, lots of drive thru everything . . . banks, drug stores, convenience stores, dry cleaners, coffe shops, donut shops, restaraunts . . . pretty sad if you ask me. Also not a very healthy live style.

I don't think anyone "wonders" why. It's pretty obvious why a lot of Americans are overweight.

(by the way, the free soda refills I'm interested in are for diet soda, so at least I'm not drinking my calories hehe )

Hey, wait just a cotton pickin' minute! How much are refills on Cokes at UK restaraunts?!

The same as buying the drink in the first place.

Unless you happen to be eating at one of the rare places that offers free refills.  Only place I ever found that did it was Pizza Hut.

And am I the only one who did NOT notice a portion size difference between the US and the UK?  Maybe I'm just not that observant.     I think that may be the case, since I ended up losing 20 lbs over there without realizing it till I got back.

Hey, wait just a cotton pickin' minute! How much are refills on Cokes at UK restaraunts?!

There are no refills.
You just buy another drink.

He said he will just rely on me and say, Bloody Foreigners a lot. 

Yeah but over there he'll be the Dam* Foreigner.

Unless you happen to be eating at one of the rare places that offers free refills.  Only place I ever found that did it was Pizza Hut. 

I think you might get free refills over here at Subway too.  At least, the last time I was in one in Leeds city centre - two kids walked in off the street with empty cups & helped themselves to refills in the Subway & the counterperson said nothing.

Yep, free refills at Subway...and Frankie & Bennie's if you go for the lunch special and order a regular-sized drink...and Nando's.... and TGIFridays (I think).  Very rare to find a free refill over here!

Yep, free refills at Subway...and Frankie & Bennie's if you go for the lunch special and order a regular-sized drink...and Nando's.... and TGIFridays (I think).  Very rare to find a free refill over here!

Oh well. Is water free at least?

Nope.  Or at least I've never been anywhere where it's free!

Nope.  Or at least I've never been anywhere where it's free!

They charge for tap water?

Woe is me!

(hehe, I keep thinking of my poor brother-in-law, who seems to be the thirstiest man on the planet. I've told him that if I ever settle in the UK for awhile and my sister or mom came over to visit, he should stay at home. If he eats his meal and the Diet Coke isn't flowing freely, he IS NOT a happy camper!)

They charge for tap water?

Woe is me!

(hehe, I keep thinking of my poor brother-in-law, who seems to be the thirstiest man on the planet. I've told him that if I ever settle in the UK for awhile and my sister or mom came over to visit, he should stay at home. If he eats his meal and the Diet Coke isn't flowing freely, he IS NOT a happy camper!)

You can get some warm unfiltered tap water if that's what you like to drink, but I've never liked the taste of it.  Tap water out in the country is better, but there are some places where you're not supposed to drink the tap water, mostly around industrial areas.  Although at fast food places you can get tap water, but it's in the fountain and tastes a little funny since it comes out of the same nozzle that the fruit drink comes out of.  Kind of like really week cool aid.

Most places just sell bottled water, which generally costs the same as a drink.  You could probably get a glass of tap free water at a pub or a small caf, but not in any restaurant I've been to lately.

 

They charge for tap water?

Woe is me!

(hehe, I keep thinking of my poor brother-in-law, who seems to be the thirstiest man on the planet. I've told him that if I ever settle in the UK for awhile and my sister or mom came over to visit, he should stay at home. If he eats his meal and the Diet Coke isn't flowing freely, he IS NOT a happy camper!)

Um .... the free water in the USA isn't Evian... it's tap water too...just usually cold tap water.

You can get free water in the UK if you ask for a pint glass of tap water with ice in most places.   You do have to ask for ice though!  Some places even ask if you want bottled or tap.  

Just ask nicely...